China's exports rise in first 2 months of the year

BEIJING – China's imports and exports grew in the first two months of this year after weakening toward the end of 2016.

Customs data on Wednesday showed exports rose 4 percent compared with a year earlier in January and February while imports rose 26.4 percent.

Trade data at the start of the year are volatile due to the two-week Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on different dates each year. But the figures appeared to show global and domestic demand were relatively strong.

Last year, exports shrank by 7.7 percent.